Improvement in apparatus for warming and ventilating railroad-cars



J. STD R Y. 7 Apparatus for Warming and Ventilating Railroad Cars.

- Patented 0Qt.5,l875.

WITNESSES N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHEIL WASHINGTON. O. C.

UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES STORY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF" COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR WARMING AND VENTILATING RAILROAD-CARSSpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,426, dated October5, 1875; application filed September 17, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES STORY, of the city of Washington, in theDistrict of Columbia, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus forWarming and Ventilating Railway- Oarriages, of which the following is aspecification:

The methods of warming railway-carriages heretofore in use have involvedgreat danger from fire in case of accident, and also discomfort byreason of unequal temperature at the middle and ends of the car. Thislatter is obviated by the system of hot-water pipes in use to someextent; but the first-named danger is not thereby obviated, and thelatter system involves great expense in the fitting and maintenance.

The object of my invention is to produce a more satisfactory andeconomical method of Warming the different carriages of an entire train,and an entire avoidance of all the dangers of fire in case of accident;and to these ends it consists of an air-heating apparatus separate fromthe carriages of the train, from which warm air may be distributed bysuitable pipes to all the carriages, employing, if necessary, anair-forcing apparatus propelled by an independent power, so that thedelivery of the warm air will be entirely independent of the motion ofthe train.- In hot weather the same apparatus may be employed to delivercool air, ice being employed in the air apparatus, if necessary. Itfurther consists in dividing the air-chamber into two compartments,which may be rendered separate and distinct from each other, from one ofwhich dry warm air may be discharged at the floor, and moist warm airmay at the same time be discharged near the ceiling from the other; orfrom the separate reservoirs air at difi'erent temperatures may bedischarged.

That others may fully understand my invention I will more particularlydescribe it, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein-Figure l is a side elevation representing my apparatus in operativecondition. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on line .00 m. Fig. 4 is a section showing a singleblower to force air through all the air-pipes. Fig. 5 is a transversesection of a car, showing the seuarate pipes.

A is one of the carriages of a railway-train.

It is provided with suitable pipes a, or conduits for the hot air, laidin near the roof, at the floor, or in such other positions as may beproper. Said pipes are perforated or are provided with registers oroutlets of crontrollable capacity for the escape of the hot air, anddampers or valves to cut off the flow, if desired and they are alsoprovided with imperforate pipes b for the conveyance of hot air to carsin the rear. The pipes of the several cars are coupled by flexibleconnections, which will not be disturbed by the motion of said cars. Bis the hot-air generator and reservoir. It may be of such size andcapacity as may be required for the service demanded. It is proposed toconstruct it entirely of metal, and to mount it upon its own truck,though for use upon roads running none but short trains the heatingapparatus B may be mounted in a part of the baggagecar. This heatingapparatus consists, essentially, of an air-reservoir, B, and heaters orstoves G, as many or as capacious as may be required. From the reservoirB air is taken through pipes D to the carriages in the rear, anddischarged therein, as indicated above.

If necessary, the blast may be forced by any suitable blowing-machine,N, worked by its own motor 0, so as to make its action independent ofthe motion of the train; or, if more desirable, separate blowers may beemployed for each pipe, as shown at E.

Air may be introduced into the reservoir B in any suitable way; but Iprefer to employ the device which I will now describe. F is a vesselcontaining water, and G is a pipe leading therefrom to the open airabove the roofs of the cars for the introduction of fresh air. Near thelower end of the pipe Gr there is a horizontal plate, g, which reachesnearly to the sides of the vessel or washer F, and has around its edge adrooping flange, which reaches down nearly to the surface of the water.When the train is in motion the water will be violently agitated anddashed into spray, filling the space below the plate g, which therebyconstitutes'a spray-chamber, i, into which the air is discharged andcompletely washed of i'tsdust. The pipe G is-surmounted by a revolvingbell, H, kept always to the wind by a vane, I, or other suitablecontrivance. The air which enters the mouth or bell H passes down thepipe Cr, and is projected upon the surface of the water withconsiderable force, andcompletely washed by the spray, so that whateverdust or solid particles are being carried by the air will be caught bythe water and retained. The air current then rises into the upper partof the vessel or washer F, and passes into the diving-fines J J, whichconvey it through the bottom of the washer F and discharge it into thereservoir B. To exclude dustwhen the apparatus is not in use a hinggilcover, h, is attached to the bell-- month In-winter it may be desirableto supply air of different temperatures or qualities to different partsof the carriage-as, for instance, warm and dry air may be discharged atthe levelof the floor, and. moist air, or air of a lower. temperature,may be discharged higher up the side of the car, and to accomplish thisresultI divide the reservoir B horizontally by a diaphragm, K, which isperforated and pro- .vided with a slide, L, correspondingly perforated,so that the two compartments may, at will, be practically united, or maybe kept distinct. The whole. exterior surface may be jacketed with anysuitable non-conductor of heat. 1.;lhe pipe-M serves to discharge thecontents of the washer F, when the water therein-has'become contaminatedwith dirt.

Fresh water may be'introduced, through the pipe G ,,or by any othersuitable'openin A hinged cover, h, closes the bell or mouth H to excludedust, when desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is-- 1. A warm airreservoir, B, provided with several outlets, combined with the carriagesof a railway-train, each provided with separate pipes for its ownsupply, and to convey air to the carriages in the rear.

2. Combined with the separate deliveryflues a Warm-air reservoir, B,divided by a partition, in which there are controllable openings, forthe purpose of simultaneously discharging air of the same or difierenttemperatures or qualities from the separate compartments.

3. Combined with flues J the reservoir B,

flues J and provided with the heating stoves or furnaces C, for thepfirposes'set forth.

5. Combined with the washer F and the pipe G the plate g, with itsdrooping peripheral flange to. constitute a'spray-chamber, as set forth,to insure the thorough washing of the air, as described.

JAMES: STORY.

,Witnesses:

B. D. 0. SMITH, F. B. TOWNSEND.

